Muffler with plural passages and side branch chambers



July 24, 1951 w BlDDLEcCMBE 2,561,557

MUFFLER WITH PLURAL PASSAGES AND SIDE BRANCH CHAMBERS Filed Sept. 14, 1949 INVENTOR. nmrar A .Z/DOLCW6E Patented July 24, 5951 MUFFLER WITH rLURALi PAssAGEs' AND 7 SIDE BRANCH CHAMBERS I Walter 'L.'Biddlecombe, Indianapolis, Ind. Application September 14, 1949, Serial No. 115,686

invention relates toa muflier with plural to provide a'muiller of but few parts and these ofsimple construction, and readily assembledftof gether.

. l Heretofore mufilers. have strained, as. it .We're, the explosively discharged gases from anengine.

Another chief object of the vpresent invention is to eliminate the straining action and utilize a cushioning action inherent in the muffler of this invention.

One chief feature of they invention resides in constructing the muffler so that the discharge thereto'can readily expand'and when expanded be cushioned such that the cushioned gaseous discharge will be discharged-from the mufiler in a more efiicient manner,.the cushioning action, asdistinguished from a straining. action, resul tingfin a lowering of the back pressure on the engine thereby increasing its eiliciency, Theother chief feature ofthe' invention resides in providing an elongated housing closedat opposite ends except for the inlet and outlet and including therein an insert of diversion and division type arranged to form cushioning chambers downstream of the gaseous division.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an elliptical embodiment of the invention, parts being broken out.

Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof, taken at right angles, parts being broken away to show same and the other parts in section.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the intake end of the muiiler.

In the drawings It indicates the inlet to the muffler and adapted for suitable connection to the engine discharge, not shown. N indicates a tail pipe to which the mufiler discharges, the muffler having discharge I2 suitably connected thereto.

The mufller comprises an elongated elliptical cross-sectioned body l3 closed at opposite ends by caps or closures I4 and I5 and connected thereto in any suitable manner such as illustrated, for example.

Intake I0 is suitably carried by cap, closure or end I while discharge [2 is suitably carried r so imjsy (cum- 4s) 2 by the other cap, closure or end l5. The intake and discharge, project inwardly from the ends and towards each other and may be aligned as shown."

coextensive with the major length of the muffler, b'ody' I3 is the division structure which near' theinlet end is of diversion type. Same com prises two elements having adjacent mid-portions l6 suitably secured together as by spot welding H or the like. The width of same may be appreciable as illustrated, see Fig. 3, or negligible.

Extending outwardly and angularly and divergingly from each are the portions l8, each of which terminates in a curved portion I9. These two portions may lap or otherwise be'secured together as at 20. The result is four parallelvpassages substantially occupying the entire crosssectional area of the housing l3. These chame bers are designated by numerals 2| and 22. i

The forward ends of chambers 22 are sealed ofi from the inlet In by partitions 23. Thus only chambers 2| freely communicate with the inlet endjoff the ho'u'sing' |'3. Members.|6, I8 and |9 on themajorportionof the insert unit terminate in spaced relation to the rear end I5 of the mufller.

Each of the wall portions I8 for one quarter to one third the length thereof from the discharge end thereof is slotted as at 24. Hence, since discharge l2 terminates immediatel adjacent the ends of portions Iii-l8, the portions l8 constitute a division or divided entrance thereto, said discharge |2 as at 25 being in free communication with all four chambers 2| and 22. Each chamber 2| communicates with the adjacent chamber 22 only at the rear quarter or third thereof through slots 24, which may be louvred or directionally louvred as and when deemed desirable, same being omitted herefrom for clearness.

Accordingly, the resulting chambers 22 are cushioning chambers for the absorption or accommodation of the high pressure or peak pressures in the exhaust stream. In other words, said chambers relieve the excessive peak pressure so that the discharge at 25|2 is substantially at a uniform pressure which, however, varies depending upon the engine speed variation. The device, therefore, serves as an exhaust silencer.

In operation the high pressure exhaust expands upon entering the muffler and such expanded gas is divided approximately into half upon entering each of chambers 2|, where it is permitted to the tail pipe until the pressures rise in the discharge system. However, in so doing there is always present the cushioning action and relatively free discharge to the tail pipe so the exhaust is substantially silent, all without the customary back pressure creation and resulting decrease in engine efliciency.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in charactel. The several modifications described herein, as well as others Which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is: 1, A muiiler having an elongated body with a plurality of chambers substantially coextensive therewith and closed ends with substantially '30 equal area inlet and discharge means, the chambers freely communicating one with the other at the discharge ends and certain of the chambers freely communicating with the inlet means at the inlet end, the remainder "of said chambers at :25

the inlet end being sealed from the inlet means to form cushioning means, the two groups of chambers having restricted communication near the discharge ends thereof, each group of cham-- bers including a pair thereof, the chambers of 40 2 ,4

each such pair being separated by a chamber of the other pair.

, 2. A muffler having an elongated body with a plurality of chambers substantially coextensive 4 therewith and closed ends with substantially equal area inlet and discharge means, the chambers freely communicating one with the other at the discharge end and certain of the chambers freely communicating with the inlet means at the inlet end, the remainder of said chambers at the inlet end being sealed from the inlet means to form cushioning means, the two groups of chambers having restricted communication near the discharge ends thereof, and the several chambers in the body being formed by substantially X-arranged partitions, each partition being common to a pair of adjacent chambers.

3. A muiller including an elongated, elliptical sectioned body with intake and exhaust at opposite ends, X-arranged partitions therein substantially coextensive with the major length thereof, and bailie and diversion means at the inlet end closing two opposite resulting chambers at that end and diverting inlet gases to the other chambers and dividing the gases ubstantially equally therebetween.

4. A muiller as defined by claim 3 wherein all chambers "have restricted communication at the discharge end thereof and for an appreciable length of said chambers but less than half the length of the same.

5. A muiiler as defined by claim 3 wherein all chambers at the discharge end "have free com munication with'the muiiler exhaust.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Peik Nov. 3, 1986 2,075,263 Bourne Mar. 30, 193! 2,103,810 Casper Dec. 28, 1937 2,274,480 Raven Feb. 24, 1942 

